Splendid Obstinacy
by honorableotp
Summary: Here is what she had meant to do: see the world, to swim in crystal clear waters, to succeed in her life. And she did. Here is what she never meant to do: become a vampire, kill somebody, kill many, fall in love with the bad guy. But she did. Caroline runs away the from Mystic Falls the night of the Bitter Ball (5x12) 10 months later Klaus finds her in Venice, Italy. One Shot


Here is what she had meant to do: to see the world, to swim in crystal clear waters, to succeed in her life.

And she did.

Here is what she never meant to do: become a vampire, kill somebody, kill many, fall in love with the bad guy.

But she did.

She runs away. God, she hates herself. But the taste of freedom is far too euphoric for her to return.

She knows there were impending threats, knows her friends could have died and it would have been that much more blood on her hands.

But she could not breathe in that town. He was everywhere . A champagne flute, a dress shop window, the Grill, Elena's living room, the back of Stefan's head at the right angle.  
He was everywhere, but he was nowhere.

He had told her she would be free, once he was gone. She supposes he had done what bad guys do best; lie.

She had to leave.

And she did.

She calls Stefan from a payphone on a beach somewhere below the southern US border. Her hair has been tangled by the calloused hands of the ocean, and she knows the way she nervously runs her hands through it would have hurt her scalp had she been human.

"Hello?" He picks up after three rings. The sound of his voice is familiar, almost like home, but not quite. She does not answer. "Hello?" It comes again.

"Stefan…" She squeaks out after a few seconds. She imagines him flinching at the sharp sound assaulting his ear. Then, she imagines a warm smile spreading across his face.

"Caroline." It is cold, and the warm smile plastered on his face disappears. She sees his face the way it is when he looked at Katherine. It hurts. "I didn't think we'd hear from you for at least a year."  
"Surprise!" It sounds weak, even to her own ears. He does not make a sound. "You were close."  
"Nine months."

"Stefan, I know, I should have called, I-"  
"You never should have left." It is his angry yet calm voice. She has never experienced it before; his quiet fury. She hates it.

"I had to." Her voice breaks. A beach ball hits the back of her leg. Someone asks her to throw it back, but she waves the request away.

"Why?"  
"Stefan…"

"Just tell me, Care. You know I would understand." She takes a deep breath. What to say, she does not know.  
I fucked Klaus.

Not enough.

I fell in love with Klaus.

Too much.

"Klaus." Is all she says. She hears a sharp inhale.

"You're with him."  
"No. No," She reassures him. "I ran away from him."  
"I don't understand." There is another few seconds of uncomfortable silence between them.

"I don't think I do, either."

~  
"I've got that." Caroline's hands freeze over her wallet, her shoulders tense. Her eyes close tightly. Slowly, she lifts her head. Her eyes open, one at a time, and what could be called a grimace is plastered to her face. She turns to face what she had been trying to escape.

"Klaus." It is the same way she had said it all those months ago; breathless, unsure of the reality before her. He steps forward, reaching an arm out to pay for her gelato. It brushes her own, sending tremors across her whole body.

"What are you doing here?" She flips her spoon over once it is in her mouth, pressing her tongue up against the plastic so that the strawberry cream leaks out the sides. She swallows.

"Enjoying the scenery." He offers, looking dead at her.

"You know, for a thousand years old, you sure do have shitty pick up lines."  
"Who said it was a line?" She shoves another spoonful into her mouth. "I wanted to see you." Her mouth goes too dry to swallow, and the gelato melts, surrounding her gums. Finally, she swallows, even though it feels like razor blades sliding down her throat.

"You promised." She puts anger into it, but none comes out.

"I promised Mystic Falls. Isn't that why you left?"

"You promised me freedom."  
"I can leave, if that is what you truly desire." He says it with nonchalance, but she can see the trepidation in his unwavering eye contact. She is torn. She should spit at his feet, tell him he is a fool for even showing up.  
Instead, she shoves more gelato into her mouth.  
"I left to get away from you." Klaus raises an eyebrow. She hates this. Hates the way sitting here with him in Venice, his legs outstretched and fingers tapping against the table and hair shining in the morning sun, feels so natural. "You just… you were everywhere. I stopped going to the grill. I stopped drinking champagne, even the cheap stuff Elena and Bonnie kept around. I stopped looking at ball gowns for fun…" She trails off, stirring her gelato absentmindedly. She does not know why she is telling him this.

"Maybe being away from me isn't the way for you to be free." He suggests it smugly, and she wants to scream. Shout so that all the other tourists hear; of course she had considered it. Of course part of her believes that was what she was running from all along. Instead, she eats more gelato. "And as much as I would love to take credit for your grand escape from under the thumb of those degenerates, I don't believe you."

"What?"  
"I don't believe you." She sighs. She would get up, she would leave, catch the next flight to Greece, but the sun feels too good on her skin, and the flower boxes resting on the fence around this patio are too pretty.

He is too pretty.

"Am I supposed to care?"

"You left because you finally outgrew them." She looks down, taking another spoonful of gelato.

"I love them."  
"I know."

They are both surprised when he grabs her hand.  
They had just burst out of a tight alleyway Klaus had sworn by; he had been right, too. The alley opens up into a circle of bricks, surrounded by buildings in the same style as the rest of the city, but she can tell they are apartments from the stories the balconies tell. The center of the circle holds a grand fountain. It only has one meager street leading to it, the rest are alleyways like the one they had come through.

Caroline takes in the sight with wide eyes. He sees the wonder in them, wonders how such a simple thing brings so much joy to her.

Then his hand is in hers. They both think the same thing; this is too soft a thing for him.

But he likes it, and so does she.  
They keep walking.  
They sit on the edge of the fountain, and Caroline counts the wishes resting on the tiled bottom. Klaus counts the freckles on her face.

A song plays from a balcony, loud and begging to be danced to.

He stands, and offers her his hand once more. She looks around, blushing.  
"Klaus, we shouldn't disturb them."  
"We're not the ones playing the music." His smile is too young for his eyes. She realizes she wants to take his hand more than anything.

And she does.

Sei importante per me

Devo farti una confessione

In balia di te, questa è la mia situazione

This dance is different from their others; it is not practiced or robotic. They move to the ups and downs of the music, and she laughs joyously when he spins her.

Fare finta di niente

Soffocare tutte le tentazioni

Non cercarti e poi pensarti continuamente  
"Is he sad?" She whispers, as if not to disturb the moment. Klaus seems to think for a moment.

Il mondo è fatto per noi

Giochiamo adesso

Solo per noi

Questa è una favola moderna

Non da sognare ma da scrivere, da vivere

"No. He is sure. He misses her right now, but he knows they'll end up together."

Il centro emozionale sei tu

Ti voglio mia, non chiedo di più

Splendida ostinazione

Non si chiama bene, si chiama amore

They do not mention the striking similarities.

Cosa sono per te

Un affidabile distrazione

Chiediti perché c'è questa grande confusione

Il mondo è fatto per noi

Balliamo adesso

Solo per noi

Questa è la nostra danza eterna

Non da sognare ma da vivere, da vivere

"Will you teach me Italian?"

Il centro emozionale sei tu

Ti voglio mia, non chiedo di più

Splendida ostinazione

Sei sopra ogni cosa, la perfezione

"Italian takes a long time to master, love."

Non dirmi "non l'avevo capito"

Per te io non sarò mai un amico

Questa è la mia ragione

Non si chiama bene si chiama amore

She turns her head to the side like she had the last time they danced, when she had told him about being Miss Mystic Falls.

"I know."

Il centro emozionale sei tu

Ti voglio mia, non chiedo di più

Splendida ostinazione

He halts, cradling her face. The smile the spread across his face is the biggest she had ever seen.

Non dirmi non l'avevo capito

Per te io non sarò mai un amico

E questa è la mia ragione

Non si chiama bene si chiama amore

She wants to kiss him.

Splendida ostinazione

And she does.

Notes:

Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading! Feel free to check out my other kc fics and social medias!  
Twitter and Tumblr are both forbesaken  
So, since I'm weird and care about accuracy I looked up top songs in 2014 Italy. The song is Splendida Ostinazione by Marco Carta. It sounded like it was a good dancing song, and when I put in the lyrics to Google Translate, it was the most Klaroline thing ever. Here's a rough translation:

You are important to me  
I have to make a confession  
At my mercy, this is my situation

Act as if nothing has happened  
Suffocate all temptations  
Do not look for yourself and then think about it continuously

The world is made for us  
Let's play now  
Just for us  
This is a modern fairy tale  
Not to dream but to write, to live

The emotional center is you  
I want you mine, I do not ask for more  
Splendid obstinacy  
It is not called well, it is called love

What they are for you  
A reliable distraction  
Ask yourself why there is this great confusion  
The world is made for us  
Let's dance now  
Just for us  
This is our eternal dance  
Not to dream but to live, to live

The emotional center is you  
I want you mine, I do not ask for more  
Splendid obstinacy  
You are above all things, perfection

Do not tell me "I did not understand"  
For you I will never be a friend  
This is my reason  
It is not called well it is called love

The emotional center is you  
I want you mine, I do not ask for more  
Splendid obstinacy

Do not tell me I did not understand it  
For you I will never be a friend  
And this is my reason  
It is not called well it is called love

Splendid obstinacy

Once again thank you guys so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Leave any positive or negative thoughts! Don't forget me when the annual and final Klaroline Awards roll around!

Thank you to my editor AR Penn.


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